Dinner last night topped off a great day at the beach!
After spending some time at the pool, my family, Ryan and I came back to our condo, showered and headed out for an amazingly delicious dinner at The Mad Hatter restaurant in Sanibel.
The restaurant décor was adorably themed in mad hatter décor with pictures and trinkets from Alice in Wonderland.
Our reservations were for 6 p.m. which ended up being absolutely perfect as we enjoyed a loaf of hot ciabatta bread, a sample of pork liver from the chef and sipped on some wine just as the sun was setting.
How gorgeous! Our table decided to be a little obnoxious and hoot and holler as the sun was setting. Hopefully we didn’t ruin the mood for those trying to enjoy a romantic evening.
I think my grandma liked the wine! Apparently “just a glass” won’t do. 
It should be noted that no one else was carded at the restaurant except for me and my 21-year-old sister. What the heck?
As an appetizer, Ryan and I shared a fresh watermelon, pine nut, mint and feta cheese salad that was so juicy and fresh.
It reminded me a lot of the salad Ryan and I enjoyed at the Greek cooking class we took back in September.
As my entrée, I selected a trio of lump crab meat in a black truffle vinaigrette, grilled shrimp and lobster with a tropical fruit salsa.
My meal was unreal. The crab was definitely the best part and I couldn’t get enough! Thank you so much to those of you who recommended this restaurant through comments on this blog and the PBF Facebook page. You guys were right on!
We debated ordering dessert at the restaurant, but opted against it in favor of getting several pieces of cake from The Bubble Room.
This place cracks me up! My dad is a man who absolutely hates clutter and “knick knacks” and we joked with him that The Bubble Room is his personal hell. The restaurant is completely decked out in random trinkets and bobbles. It’s so fun!
My dad seemed to like it juuuuust fine once he saw the huge pieces of cake in the dessert case!
The six of us selected four large pieces of cake to bring back to the condo.
- Chocolate lava cake
- Red velvet cake
- Orange crunch cake
- Coconut cake
Every single piece was delicious. Check out the total domination that occurred:
Don’t you worry… all of those remaining bites were taken down.
The cake was just as fantastic as Ryan and I remembered from our honeymoon. Amazing!
Now that everyone is awake, it’s time to discuss our plans for the day beginning with… breakfast.
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
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Wow! Mad Hatter sounds like an amazing restaurant. That feta salad looks delicious! 😀
Mad Hatter–told ya so! That was the first place I went when I moved here years ago.
Wondered if you got my email? Anyway, definitely looks like you guys are enjoying your time. Not sure if you caught the full moon this morning, but that sunset pic is just as gorgeous.
If you are up to travelling in to Fort Myers, the Edison Parade is a huge event here every year and it’s this weekend. Tonight is the Grand Parade, something you guys might really enjoy, but I’ll warn you now, it’s PACKED. But tons of fun.
Enjoy your day today–could the weather be any better?!
hi mary beth! i did!!! i have it starred to respond! i’ve been scrambling a bit so i hope to get back to you ASAP. tanks so much for the recommendation. we LOVED the mad hatter. everyone’s meal was so, so good.
and by tanks i mean thanks. 😉
how fun!! the bubble room sounds so cute and fun! and HO MAH GOODNESS I WANT ME SOME OF YOUR CAKE!!!!
you and your sister are THE most gorgeous girls i have ever seen!!!!!!
WOW the cakes look unreal!!! Sounds like such a fun night – especially the Bubble Room part!
I think our Dads were seperated at birth, just sayin’! That restaurant looks so fun and absolutely delicious…anything with crab is just awesome 🙂
Looks like so much fun!
Those cake slices are enormous! I love it!
Yum! You have such a great looking family!
Uhhh…the yum was for your food, not your great looking family. Oops! 😛
hahaha this made me laugh out loud!
Oh MY goodness!! Where did you get your black maxi dress??? I have been looking all over for one exactly like it!
I NEED to know this too! 🙂
Yes, I was wondering the same thing. So Cute!!!
HAHA your grandma with the wine bottle!! Replace that with some Dewar’s and you’ve got my grandpa. What a riot. That cake looks amazinggg too!
That restaurant looks & sounds so good 🙂
& when I saw that Orange crunch cake I was like ‘whooaaaaa what is that?!!?’ It looks so YUMMY!!! You should try to re-create it 😉
yay!! so glad you enjoyed the mad hatter. we watched the sun set when we were there too! and i love the pretty flowers that come with the food. ahh, i want to go back now!
That orange crunch cake looks amazing! And I LOVE the presentation of your entree! Sometimes I think it makes the food taste just that much better 🙂
How cute! I love small-town Florida—so charming!
Those restaurants look fantastic! I may never get down to south FL anytime soon, but if I get the chance, I’m checking those places out, for sure!
Looks like a fun restaurant! There’s a Mad Hatter place in D.C. that my parents love going to when they visit. Wonder if it is connected!
Does it even get any cuter than Alice-in-Wonderland themed? My heart’s a million miles away with you guys (not creeper status, just because I’m craving myself some sunny beach vacation time so much…). As I’m sitting here brainstorming what I’ll have for breakfast, I can’t stop drooling over all four pieces of that HEAVEN.
And one last thing, I can’t get over just how cute/pretty that brown dress you’re wearing is! Did you find it down there?
It’s from Banana Republic!
would you believe i worked at the bubble room for three summers during college?
yes, i wore that hideous outfit everyday and ate more than my fair share of cake! i hate clutter & cramped spaces too, and looking back, i don’t know how i worked there! haha.
Oh my gosh! This made me laugh!! Their cake is glooorious.
Wow! The salad and that you and Ryan shared at dinner looks amazing…watermelon and feta together are one of my favorite combinations!
ps. your dress from dinner is adorable!
The mad hatter looks absolutely amazing! Sunsets are my absolute favorite 🙂 looks like you made the right decision on the dessert! Which cake was your favorite? I think the red velvet would be mine!
My whole family loved the orange crunch. I think my favorite was the red velvet. All were amazing!
Looks like so much fun! I definitely need to head there someday! 😀
Ugh, those pieces of cake look AMAZING. I wouldn’t gobbled every kind! there’s no way I could’ve picked a favorite…
Happy Saturday!
Delicious! How was the orange crunch cake?! that one sounds the most unique and best to me! 🙂 once again thanks for the inspiration for yesterdays run! I was a little irritable after that run probably because I didn’t fuel up properly and took it our on my Man, Pete 🙁 I hate when I cause arguments for no reason at all it’s really something I need to try and learn to stop. Any relationship advice for how to stop and argument once one’s starting to begin?
🙂
-Angie (The Fitness Apple)
Looks like fun Julie!! I want the coconut cake!!! That sounds the besttt to me!! 🙂
Yum that dinner looked awesome especially the starter salad.
I was trying to decide who you look like (meaning your parents). You take after your father i think.
sorry just a random comment
have a great day
I want to go to Mad Hatter!..I wonder if there’s any on the west coast??
OMG! That restaurant looks so cool!!! Alice In Wonderland is my absolute favorite Disney movie & children’s book, I’m obsessed with all things Alice. What a wonderful evening you all had! 🙂
Wow…those cakes looks awesome! Great selection! And don’t worry, I still get carded at the age of 27. In grad school, a bunch of us went to a local pub/bar for happy hour, and they carded everyone at the entrance. We all placed our food/drink orders, and they came back around to JUST me and asked for my ID again!!! I was so mad!!! Oh well, it could be worse! 🙂
Your family is so cute! Your gram is the cutest ever! My gram liked her wine too ; )
I have been to the Mad Hatter, they have one in DC, I loved it, it was so cute, I didnt eat there though just got drinks with friends ; )
U look beautiful and tan ( jealous! Im so pale , lol )
Hope you , ryan, and the family have a great rest of the weekend!
I am SO jealous of everything! Your gorgeousness, your beautiful dress, your CAKES! It looks like so much FUN!! 😀
Enjoy the rest of your weekend girl! 🙂
I am SO jealous of your family time right now! I’m missin me some home-lovin’ and your weekend looks great! Y’all are so happy! Enjoy the rest of the weekend, the weather and the much needed break!
Looks like you guys are having a great time. Your dinner looks amazing.
Just a few random thoughts that went through my head as I was reading:
1)I love your purse! I wonder what brand it is…
2)Your entree looked amazing…well actually, the entire meal looked amazing.
3)your parents and grandmother are too adorable
4)Your dad reminds me of George McFly from the Back to the Future movies. That’s a good thing! 🙂
Those cakes look heavenly!! I’m celebrating my cousin’s birthday tonight and I’m praying to the good Lord that they made a birthday cake!! 🙂
I have got to find a recipe for that orange crunch cake. That looks so delicious! I’ll add that dessert to my list of “must try’s” for our upcoming trip there.
I had the best Greek Salad today too — my friend’s invention — it was so beautifully presented too that I can’t wait to serve it at a dinner party!
http://eating-made-easy.com/2011/02/19/greek-salad-cups/
what a fun restaurant!
Your salad looks fabulous!! I would have totally dominated the chocolate and coconut cakes….which one(s) did you mainly dominate? Looks like your having an excellent time:)
I checked out The Mad Hatter’s website….yummy!! Hope the rest of your weekend is awesome!
Ohhh I know that Red Velvet cake so, so well….
And that orange crunch cake is to dieeee for!! nom nom nommmm
I’m curious what was in the orange crunch cake and how it tasted. I want to try and create the recipe!
The Mad-Hatter looks so fun! I am a sucker for ‘themes’! Those pieces of cake are massive!
I’m just like your dad in that I hate decor “fluff” as I like to call it. It makes me claustrophobic! Those cakes look so (sorry have to say it) MOIST and delicious! Awesome domination!
that dinner looks splendid & has me craving some killer seafood now…and the cake. red velvet is my favorite thing ever…yum!
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